Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1887-02-03
fires. Nancy alters built the fires

| turned over and went to sleep again
or at least he thought | did.
Well he wiggled and turned and twist
ed, and he didn't move ter get up fer
about an hour; but when ther sun rose
and shun inter the bedroom winder he
got up and built the fire. And there
wasn't no kindlins nor stick of wood,
and he had ter skirmish in n lively way
and get some.
Arter the fire got TO cracking in good
shape got up. didn't hurry none, let
me tell you. ! most died laying abed so
long, but seq to myself, "ef | make the
fire now, I'll probably hev ter do it in
cold weather, and that | won't do fer no
man."
He was pretty sullen all day, but /
took no notice of him aud he got over it.
The next day he was ter begin haying
and he had six men ter help him. | had
ter do all the work, and take care of the
milk and churnilfg, and it was no fool of
job Come time to get dinner, and
there wasn't silver wood cut. sent
Johnny Che was then about seven years
old out in the field to tell Caleb want
ed him.
He came in looking savage and wanted
to know what it was | wanted Sez /;
81 want some wood TO burn"
"Wall," he sez, there's hull wood
pile out there. Help yourself"
"And not stick split, sell. You'll
hev ter get bigger stove to burn that"
wall, it amt such hard job to split
it," sez he. "Nancy used tew often when
| was bizzy."
"Did she ?" seq |. 80 did Dan'l."
He got the wood, and said as he was
going out that he didn't want to be called
in out of the moving field again unless it
was fer victuals.
"All right" sez /.
The next day was the same thing, not
a stick split Thinks |, "Old feller, you
amt got Nancy here III larn ye some
thing that p'raps ye don't know" SO
when it was dinner-time bowed the horn
and in comes all seven men and sets down
at the table. Sich astonished looking
faces as they viewed the grub. The per-
taters and meat and vegetables and every
thing was washed clean and put on raw.
Not a thing was cooked.
Caleb looked blacker'n a thunder-cloud.
"What does this mean p sez he.
means what it means,' sen !. "Iou
sed yesterday that you didn't want ter be
called in from the moving field unless it
was for victuals, and here they are"
"Nice shape, tew," sch he.
"Wall, | can't cook without wood, ;" sez
drily like.
With that all seven Of them started fer
the woodpile, and they never left it until
it was ready for the stove. ! never was
bothered fer wood again.
A few weeks after wanted some money
pretty bad. | wanted TO send Johnny
and Nellie buck TO school, and was bound
that they should have some clothes fit to
wear. asked Caleb a number Of times
to let me hey some, but he made all kinds
of excuses. Ididnt tell him what / want.
ed of it, mind ye. So one day along
comes pcddler buying butter and eggs.
had considerable on hand that Caleb
was intending to carry into the city when
he had time. So sold every pound Of
the buttern eggs had in the house. got
nigh on to twenty-five dollars for EN-.
When Caleb come home told him had
sold the butter'n eggs.
"How much did YOU git?" sez he.
told him.
"Where is it" sen he
"Ive got it" sen |.
"Wall," sen he, Nancy alters give me
all the money that she took for her but
ter and eggs"
"Did she ?" sen |. "And 50 did Dan'l'
He got tired of holding Nancy up afore
my eyes, for would Offset her with Dan'l
every time. He found that was power
fuI sot in my way, and he thought he
might as well let me have my own way,
and so he sen:
81 don't mean to be ugly, but won't be
trod on by nobody"
When he wouldn't let me hey what
money | wanted, I'd sell something every
time. | sold two tons Of hay one time,
when / knew he only had enough to winter
his critters. so, on the whole, he found
that wasn't afraid Of him, and he be.
haved quite decent. told him not long
ago that he was growing clever
"Clever - sen he. "Pd rather you'd
call me dog-goned fule than clever"